I don't like racing games and have no love for Mario Kart in general. But this game was an integral part of my Wii experience because it got played so much with friends and family. Perfectly approachable and great to play together with a group, Mario Kart racked up more gaming hours than most of my preferred games. We still haven't unlocked everything years later.
Not one of my personal favorites, but undeniably one of the best Wii titles around.